This Man Must Die (1969)

This Man Must Die (1969)

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“Chance is wonderful — and it exists. It’s the only thing that exists.”

Synopsis:
When a grieving father (Michel Duchaussoy) vows to hunt down and kill the man who murdered his son (Stéphane Di Napoli) in a hit-and-run accident, he finds himself connecting with an actress (Caroline Cellier) whose brutal brother-in-law (Jean Yanne) is a prime suspect.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Amateur Sleuths
  • Claude Chabrol
  • French Films
  • Mistaken or Hidden Identities
  • Revenge

Review:
Based on a 1938 novel by Cecil Day-Lewis (writing as Nicholas Blake) entitled The Beast Must Die, this Claude Chabrol psychological thriller gives off definite Hitchcock vibes — which makes sense given that Chabrol, alongside Eric Rohmer, interviewed Hitchcock and co-authored a book about him in 1957. (With that said, Chabrol stated that three other directors — F.W. Murnau, Ernst Lubitsch, and Fritz Lang — influenced him even more.) At any rate, having long ago finished reviewing all of Hitchcock’s actual titles in GFTFF, I decided it was time to revisit what one means, exactly, when using the term “Hitchcockian.”

1. First, and most importantly, “Hitchcock uses film as a place for audiences to project their anxieties.” Does Chabrol do that in this film? Absolutely. The film opens with a devastating attack on the core of one’s existence (losing a child):


… and absolutely everything that comes afterwards is laser-focused on attempting to rectify this loss, in some way.

2. “Hitchcock’s films were a way for him to deal with his own worst fears.” This I can’t speak to, since I don’t know enough about Chabrol’s motives in deciding to make this particular film…

3. “Hitchcock knows you’re watching.”

… As does Chabrol. Voyeurism plays a clear role in this film, given that Duchaussoy fakes his identity and “falsely” pursues Cellier:

… in order to enact an elaborate, double-twisty plot of worming his way into her family (and all while we’re well aware that he may not even have the “right” culprit).

4. “Hitchcock mastered every tool at his disposal.” Chabrol did as well, to the extent that one simply becomes absorbed in his best films (and his longtime collaborations with composer Pierre Jansen and editor Jacques Gaillard resonate here, too).

As in Hitchcock’s best films, good use is made of diverse locations, ranging from the opening sequence at a seaside town, to Duchaussoy’s search for a garage where someone may have thrown away a damaged car part, to the bar where he picks up Cellier, to Yanne’s showy mansion:

… to a literal cliffhanger:

… and a tense scene out on a boat.

This one remains worth a look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Jean Rabier’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a fine thriller by Chabrol. Listed as a film with Historical Relevance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Good Show
  • Important Director

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One thought on “This Man Must Die (1969)”

  1. First viewing (8/20/20). For Chabrol completists. Moderately successful film (with hints of Patricia Highsmith’s work) starring Michel Duchaussoy (who kept reminding me of an unusual cross between Peter O’Toole and Richard Harris – in his expressions).

    Generally, I’m a Chabrol fan. The premise here is solid – but the story is carried out with some awkward transitions throughout and the pacing has a tendency to be off.

    The conclusion (to me, anyway) is not all that satisfying. Jean Yanne, however, is thoroughly convincing as a chronic asshole.

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